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Linhardt sighed as he once again found himself in the base camp’s common area. He had spent all morning looking all over for Ferdinand and so far he had no luck. It was strange because Ferdinand was known to be an early riser, yet no one had seen him anywhere. Linhardt wondered if perhaps he had just gone on a ride, but his horse was still in the stable. He also wasn’t in the command center, training grounds, or the recreation quarter. The only place Linhardt hadn’t checked was his own personal quarters but it wasn’t like Ferdinand to still be there at this hour. Still, at this point in the day, he was running out of options.
Changing his path, Linhardt questioned himself why he cared so much. The answer seemed clear; he enjoyed his company. Yet, that was where the puzzlement came from. Why did he? The two were nearly complete opposites. He enjoyed lazy days, practical thought, and taking his time. Ferdinand was an optimistic idealist who loved seizing the day and striding for betterment always. For a while, that attitude did nothing but annoy Linhardt. So why did he find himself seeking him out?
He would need to set those thoughts aside for now. Arriving at Ferdinand’s tent and seeing it was closed shut, Linhardt stood just outside the entrance and cleared his throat. “Ferdinand? Are you still in there?”
“Ah- yes! Yes, I am!” Came a hurried reply. “Just…please wait for one moment, I am having difficulties.”
Linhardt raised a brow at that. “‘Difficulties?’” He responded. “That doesn’t sound like the Ferdinand von Aegir I know.”
“Yes. Well.” Ferdinand responded curtly from within his tent. After a minute Linhardt could hear what sounded like a brush being quickly combed through hair. Curious, he pressed on.
“It must be something important if it’s kept you of all people holed up in your tent all morning,” he mentioned. “Do you…need help?”
A moment of silence followed. It was unlike him to offer his help to anyone. Usually he believed that people’s problems were just their own. If Ferdinand hadn't left his tent yet, then he felt like he needed to do something though. “Actually…you might be able to help me better than I can help myself. You may enter, Linhardt.”
With permission, Linhardt carefully stepped inside, making sure to close the tent behind him. The sight in front of him was, well, it was something. “I never knew you suffered from bed head too.” He commented.
Ferdinand sighed, looking dejectedly from Linhardt to his mirror. “It’s not usually this bad,” He defended. “Most of the time I can run my brush through and call it a day.”
“I see,” Linhardt responded neutrally. Surprisingly, he saw Ferdinand relax a tad. “And what do you need my help for?”
“Could you…help me style my hair?” Ferdinand asked carefully, turning to look at Linhardt. For once he seemed apprehensive. Linhardt wasn’t used to seeing this type of reaction from him. “You always seem to style yours so perfectly, I’m sure you could give me some tips.”
Linhardt found himself smiling slightly at the request. “I suppose I can’t deny your request. Not when you so desperately need my help.” He approached Ferdinand and took the brush from him. “Now, you want to start at the bottom and work your way up. That helps detangle your hair the easiest.”
“Yes, I know all of that,” Ferdinand said with a chuckle, seeming relieved that Linhardt offered his help.
“I’m just making sure,” Linhardt said as he combed through his hair. Despite its current messy appearance, Ferdinand’s hair was rather soft. No matter how much he worked, it was clear he took pride in his appearance. As he went along, he began running his fingers through the orange locks, getting rid of the smaller tangles the brush couldn’t get. Looking up, Linhardt saw that Ferdinand had closed his eyes at some point. He was clearly enjoying the attention. He looked so peaceful.
Even after he got rid of the bed head, Linhardt ran the brush through a few times before stopping. “There.” He announced, gaining Ferdinand’s attention again. Opening his eyes, Linhardt enjoyed the pleasant surprise that appeared on his face.
“Wow,” He murmured. “I don’t think I’ve ever made it look so good.”
“Come now, Ferdinand. Your hair always looks wonderful.” Linhardt said, making Ferdinand lock eyes with him in the mirror. Realizing what he said, he quickly shrugged. “What I mean is, you always take great care of yourself. It’s impressive.”
“If only,” Ferdinand replied quietly as Linhardt tilted his head. Clearing his throat he shook his head. “Well, I could say the same about you. You always look so put together and professional.” A glimmer of humor entered his expression. “Even if I find you napping in the oddest of places.”
“I would consider it being resourceful.”
“You may call it whatever you like,” Looking back at the mirror, Ferdinand turned his head from side to side. Before Linhardt could wonder what was on his mind, he answered his questions. “Do you think you could style it for me?”
That surprised Linhardt. To this day, he doesn't think he’s ever seen him with his hair up. Actually, it might be a good look for him. “I suppose I could lend you my hair tie for a while.” He said, carefully undoing his hair and letting it fall past his shoulders.
For a moment, Ferdinand didn’t reply, eyes glued to Linhardt’s hair. He began getting worried that he had said something wrong. “You…should let your hair down more.”
Linhardt blinked, surprised. “I hadn’t thought about it before.” He replied, feeling a touch of heat enter his complexion.
Snapping out of it, Ferdinand shook his head. “I mean - forgive me Linhardt, that was too forward of me,” He apologized, also looking a little pinker than normal. “What I should have said was, you never fail to amaze me.” He shook his head again, becoming more flustered. Linhardt couldn’t help but grin, feeling himself match his nervous energy. “No. That’s not right either. You…I appreciate your help?”
A rare laugh escaped from Linhardt as he began to pull up Ferdinand’s hair. “I don’t mind,” he admitted. “You never fail to amaze me either, Ferdinand.” Stepping back to look at his handiwork, Linhardt began to feel…breathless was probably the right way to describe it. Ferdinand looked amazing with his hair up. “I like this look on you. You should put your hair up more.”
“Do you really think so?” He replied brightly. “Well, if you would humor me, I would like to see you with your hair down a little more often.”
Linhardt nodded without a second thought. “I can make that work.”